Has anyone out here in classic land converted an A series engine to run on propane? I ask because I'm about to convert my `94 SPi to a carbureted engine due to some serious fuel injection issues and I figured this would be the perfect time to perform the propane conversion. To make a long story short, the engine has been running super-rich and I've spent tons of money and time replacing nearly every sensor, vacuum line/trap, ignition component, etc... Basically everything relating to the fuel injection / ignition system under the bonnet is new except for the fuel pump, dizzy, injector, stepper motor and the ECU. Now the car runs crappier than it did before!!
The one British car shop in town only repairs non-injected A series engines.

A friend of mine converted his Jeep to run on propane for under $500 and it's street legal. I figured it would be a good experiment to convert the classic to a cleaner burning fuel. I only drive, errr....drove the car about 75 miles a week. Besides, the wife won't let me convert my 2006 MCS to propane with a relatively inexpensive kit from http://poweredbypropane.net/ until my warranty runs out. (probably a good call on her part)

The car doesn't burn any oil (although it leaks it like a sieve from the shift selector rod inlet) , the compression is good in all cylinders and everything else with the exception of the injection system seems to be in great shape.
I think I could fit a forklift propane tank in the boot if I remove the gas tank.

Numerous articles on the web stated that propane reduces engine wear and the loss of power would only amount to 7%.

Any thoughts or am i just plain insane?

 

sorry to say, but why ruin a beautiful engine? it sounds cool, but hooking up propane is a pain in the *** if you ask me.

 

Seems like a nifty idea. If you ever drove a propane vehicle, like a fork lift, you may note the engine runs cooler and cleaner. This in the end should mean less heat which is one of main contributors to wear and tear on components. I would like to get one for my 2003 Mini S. It would sound really cool Maybe Eric from helix in Philly will start selling one.

 

still though, are the advantages better then what you lose?

 

That's one of the top two reasons why I want to convert to LPG. (lower emissions is the other reason). I've temporarily shelved the project until this summer due to lack of money for the carb conversion kit and all of the necessary bits for the propane conversion.

The laws seem to be a little grey in this area. Tennessee requires a $70 / year permit + they charge an additional road tax of 14 cents per gallon of LPG to recover the lost revenue from the gasoline tax. You'd think they would give some incentives to switch to cleaner burning fuels. I'd convert it to a plug-in electric car if I had $15K+ burning a hole in my pocket

I managed to get my SPi engine running again just by replacing a broken MAP vacuum line elbow at the base of the ECU. (Hidden behind the A/C condenser)Too bad I didn't try that as my first fix. DOH!

 

The advantages are cost. It is a cost effective way to get a green vehicle. The major disadvantage would be refueling. Normally, you have to go a little out of your way to find a propane supply station. Gasoline stations are right on every corner. But, hybrid kits are extremely expensive and inefficient in comparison to a single system. Propane is not much different than a gasoline system, that is why it is so popular as a fork lift conversion kit. I am surprised it is not endorsed more as a alternative fuel for everyday use.

 

Though this is true, driving a Mini is an improvement in the first place. these things get at least 40 MPG. better then some hybrids.

 

After doing some more research, it appears that using propane would be really inconvenient for me. First, the propane supplier is 20miles away.Although the supplier has a fleet of propane converted vehicles for their use, I would have to pay the regular price. For me, converting a gasoline powered mini to propane would not save me much if anything. Gallon-for-Gallon gasoline and propane are about the same price. Moreover since fuel efficiency is not going to be increased much, all I would be left with is an expensive 'cool factor' of having a little greener vehicle. With that said, I am starting to think a hydrogen mixture might make more sense. There are people messing with a hydrogen hybrid kits. It seems with a small mixture of hydrogen mixed in the fuel efficiency can be increased about 20-30%. Which would bring my lead foot driving of an older less efficient 27MPG mini to about 35MPG. But, I do not thing anyone sells a commercial hybrid kit yet. If anyone finds one, let me know.

Here is another guy in the UK doing hybrid Hydrogen experiments.

Here is a guy showing how to make a Hydrogen Electrolysis kit for a car.

Mini Cooper S, 2003, with 90,000 Miles
-burning a quart of oil every month
-still getting 27MPG on my highway/city commute

 

Never mind I found a Canadian company that provides hydrogen hybrid kits . The kit looks like self contained electrolysis kit to create hydrogen from water. The hydrogen then be injected into the fuel to create what I was looking for.